Stolen water buffalo head dropped off at fire station with apology note

A $2800 piece of art taken from a Devine Street shop Tuesday was discovered in front of a Columbia fire station this morning.

According to the Columbia Police Department, the hand-carved water buffalo head was found by a firefighter around 6 a.m. at the Shandon Fire Station at 2847 Devine Street.

The store's manager says an apology note was also left with the head.

The anonymous delivery occurred just a few blocks away from Bohemian Home, where a man walked out with the piece of art in broad daylight Tuesday afternoon.

The incident was recorded on the store's surveillance system.

According to the store manager, a man and woman entered the store, grabbed a hand-carved water buffalo head and ran out the door.

"We had several couples in the store," said manager Denise Cullier at the time of the theft. "The next thing I knew, they were running out of the store and I noticed that there was something in the man's hands."

"It's really difficult because we have had very poor sales during the bad economic period," said Cullier. "I don't want anything terrible to happen to him, but it was wrong. The carved skull he took, it's a one-of-a-kind piece that can't be replaced and I'm just tired of being robbed."

The man is bald and was wearing a yellow and blue shirt with a blue hooded sweatshirt and jeans. The woman, who allegedly drove the getaway car, was wearing pink pants with a gray Hollister sweatshirt.

After processing the buffalo head for evidence, it will be returned to the shop owners.

Despite the fact that the art is now on its way back to its rightful owners, the people responsible for the theft are not out of the woods. Police still plan to identify and charge them.

If you know can identify the man and woman in the video or know anything about this theft, you are urged to call Crimestoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.

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